Word of The Week – Week #11

Reflections, Word of the Week

Hello and thanks for stopping by for the word of the week.

This week our word is mudpuppy. According to the website Active Wild (linked below) the common mudpuppy is a large salamander found in North America. A few interesting facts about the common mudpuppy are:

  1. It is also called a waterdog.
  2. It lives in fresh water including ponds, streams, lakes, rivers and canals.
  3. Unlike most amphibians it never loses it’s gills.
  4. Upon reaching adulthood it continues to live in the water.
  5. They are mostly active at night and they do not hibernate during the winter.
  6. They are carnivorous and will eat just about anything they can catch including insects. larvae, worms, mollusks, small fish and their eggs, other smaller amphibians and spiders.
  7. They can be preyed upon by large fish, crayfish, turtles, water snakes, and the North American river otter.

For pictures and more information check out the below article.

Common Mudpuppy Facts, Pictures & Information. Discover A North American Amphibian That Never Leaves The Water.

I have never actually seen a common mudpuppy though there is a chance that they may live in our pond.

I have however seen what we will call an uncommon mudpuppy. This uncommon mudpuppy does not have gills, and while he might visit fresh water sources he lives on land. He is very active during the day and prefers to sleep at night. He doesn’t hibernate during the winter but is most recognized (as a mudpuppy) during the spring.

He looks like this –

Mudpuppy

At times he might even be called a waterdog. 🙂

33 thoughts on “Word of The Week – Week #11”

    1. We have had a lot of dry weather so the mud is becoming scarce. Good for not having to clean a puppy but if it continues it’s not so good for gardening season coming up.

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  9. I don’t recall ever seeing a mud puppy in person. But spring has always brought more than our share of muddy critters. I think I felt the worst for the horses, although they never seemed to mind as much as I did.

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    1. I think it is unusual to see a mudpuppy because the either come out at night or in the day in murky water. Did you have to bathe the horses to get the mud off. That would be a big chore. Thankfully they weren’t wanting to come into the house like that. LOL!

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      1. Occasionally a bath, generally daily brushing. They really dont mind being muddy . It really bothers us more to see them that way. Lol

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